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Hello friends and music lovers,

It’s been a long time since I’ve done an update here. Seems it’s the least I could do for folks who are reaching out to see what I’m up to. Somehow I think Facebook (or the excuse of?) has something to do with my laziness with regards to my own webpage. Hell, I still remember how very excited I was when my friend Stefano worked up those first rough pages for me. We spent a lot of time and energy talking about what the vision and presentation should be. It was a big deal. Now it feels almost like a chore (my last update here was May 1, 2017!). I want to change that. Reclaim what is uniquely mine. The truth is that I am trying to back way the hell out of that FB dead-end. Feels as though I need to wean myself from a really bad habit. A well written letter post is much more satisfying and, dare I say, even enlightening. Both for the writer and reader. FB is transitory, cheap thrills and 10 second sound bites. And it is most definitely NOT free!

I had some very nice news recently. I made a 10 day visit to Scotland and England in February. A few shows and some visiting. For some reason England has always seemed like a long reach from France and the Continent. Clubs and venues are booked months and months in advance and I could never get any traction theew. Lately though I’ve been thinking more and more about raw UK opportunities rather then the challenges. Especially for the summer festival scene which is quite strong there. Finally I was able to connect with Glasgow’s Doghouse Roses guitarist and songwriter Paul Tasker. Paul kindly organized a few shows for both of us in the North and I was able to find a couple more in the south and so I was good to go. I arrived into a very cold and wintery UK but it was a good trip for me. I was well received at the venues and really enjoyed not only those shows but the people I met. Not long after my return home I got an email from Brookfield Knights Booking Agency http://www.brookfield-knights.com/our-artistes.html asking if I’d like to join their roster and of course I said yes. It’s a fine collection of talent that I’m proud and excited to be a part of. None of this would have happened if I had not made the effort to cross that channel in February. Thank you Paul Tasker for bringing it all together!

Speaking of gigs: I am currently working on (or have) shows for these time periods and will post upgraded info as soon as shows are confirmed:

France –

26 May w/Telescope Road

20 July – Prunieres, www.helealea.com/evenements

29 September – Le Jam, Marseille

* Norway July 6-8 (with Antonio Gramentieri) Egersund Folk Festival

* Italy – June 21-30 (dates TBC)

* Germany – August 19-26

* Norway October 17-28 (dates TBC)

I am now writing songs for a new album. I’ve sorted out a huge collection of half finished pieces and whittled the list down to about 15 songs. Hopefully this will be recorded in the early autumn. There is a lot of hard work to do of course and much to be decided not the least of which is how to pay for it. Still, it is my belief that once I have the songs, the vision of how to present those songs and the rest of the pieces will come together. First the songs! That’s how it’s worked in the past anyway. Of course it’s a brand new and fast moving world with regards to recording making and getting them sold. I will certainly keep you posted.

And thanks for stopping by.

Terry Lee Hale

Marseille, France

12.05.18

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Winters greetings and my Top 9 -

(Same thing last happened year I think. I didn’t get to 10).

There are 2 records that share the number one spot for me this year. I can’t separate them in my mind either. Both are exhilarating, cathartic, original and astonishing.One was made by a dying man singing in English and the other by a long lived 79 year woman singing in Portuguese (lyric sheet included with the record BTW). The records are alive, defiant and compelling. Both of their bands seem to freely draw from a rich mix and of styles with both traditional and modern elements. The woman and the man are both visionionary and still deeply rooted in musical history. All of the music I might add, are in strict service of the singer.

Each of the other records deserves their own accolades but for now this listing must be enough. And for what it’s worth:

1. David Bowie - “Blackstar” & Elza Soares – “A Mulher do Fim do Mundo (The Woman at the End of the World)”

I have been searching for a musical “change” for these past couple of years now and I am positive that listening to the records listed above show some progress that I’ve made toward that end. At present I can’t say I know where all of this will lead. I can only hope that my imagination, skill and reach is long enough. The bar is set very high here!

Will I end up with such fantastic bands as Bowie and Soares? Probably not. For a variety of reason I’m fairly committed to this musical solo journey. That being said and after touring with such a fine guitarist as Antonio Gramentieri this past year, I have to say that other options have opened. And looking back at the records I’ve made in the past, for the most part, my favorites are all ensemble pieces.See? I told you that I don’t know where this will end!

It seems the words to Bound, Chained, Fettered are becoming more relevant by the day. “Don’t let it get to you, drag you down…”

I’m getting the songwriting itch back and it’s feeling good. It’s baby steps for now anyway. Especially tentative as is usually the case just after finishing a recording project. So much time and energy is focused just on that. And rightly so I suppose. I’m not ignoring the writing itch though. It’s time. I’ve 4 or 5 good (great?) ones perking. I can feel more floating just under my skin. The pen feels natural in my hand.

Hardpan is rearing its gnarly head again. We’ll see. 2017 record and tour?

As always I’d like to remind you that your purchase of my music at our web store is important and a great way to support this songwriter. Times are hard for everybody though and I understand. I also understand that folks are getting used to having their music for free now. I gotta tell you friends, it’s not free to make that music you download for free. No sirree. Those songs you have of mine cost us a lot of money to produce. Every one of those musicians, the producer, mixing and mastering engineers, design artist and video director got paid. Each one of them worked for less then they are worth too but they did get paid. I’ll never see any of that money back unless you buy a record. Think about it.

01.01.16

To be continued…

One thing is for sure about Marseille: the weather shapes much of how this city lives and breathes. As much of the rest of Europe starts to bundle up and hunker down with colder weather, here you just have to find the sunny side of the building to be comfortable in shirt sleeves. I was just talking with Berlin on the phone and it’s even below zero at night now.

My new record has been recorded and is now being mixed. Release worldwide is April 15th. I recorded all of my guitars and vocals at the same time so the record really has a live feel. Simple arrangements (some combination of bass clarinet, electric guitars, lap steel, piano, baritone sax, synths, melodica) all combined with colors of brown and blues. Produced and recorded in Forli Italy by Antonio Gramentieri (Sacri Couri, Dan Stuart, Hugo Race, etc) and engineered by Franco Neddei, the record will be a spare, lyrically oriented affair. It is going to be unlike anything I’ve done before.

Anyway, lot’s of work to be organized and completed before that April date. New photos, a video, a updated press kit and all of that. Antonio and I will be touring together as a duo in Germany starting around the middle of May. Dates are being booked by Boehm Booking.

For now I put together some images and music for The Central song from the album The Long Draw. I used my iMac with iMovie and did all the work myself. Seemed to take forever to get it done but I’m pretty klutzy with such work. I guess it turned out ok. It’s not flashy but I just wanted to capture the spirit of that one time and place. I have quite fond memories of it all. I hope you like it.

Marseille 05.11.15

Summer Newsletter 27.08.15

Hello friends and music lovers,

I hope you’ve had a good summer and that this mail finds you well and in good spirits.

The big news is that Katy and I are living now in Marseille. Katy has been here more then 1 year (new job) and I arrived in April. It has taken me awhile to get used to living in an apartment after more then 10 years of living in a house but this was a necessary first step. Still, and for the most part, I am enjoying the city and our lives here. Marseille is not Paris of course. But it is a “more like me” kind of place if that makes sense? It’ll take some months to connect all the dots here but that’s ok. For now we’re excited about all the sunshine, our new friends and all of the new opportunities.

I am also happy to give you the news that I’m will begin recording a new album next month (Glitterhouse Records). I will be in the studio working with Antonio Gramentieri as the Producer in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Antonio is a fine guitarist and has produced records for Hugo Race, Dan Stuart and his own wonderful band Sacri Cuori. He will bring a fresh vision for my new songs. Glitterhouse and I are working for a release date very early in 2016.

I’m feeling healthy and strong and I am working hard to make this next recording my best one yet. Please stay tune for news of further adventures!

Please don’t forget that purchasing music is vital for musicians. I have an online store here that you can link to.

Your friend in music,

Terry Lee Hale

An acoustic duo two track recording from 1979 released on Glitterhouse Records. This will be a limited mail order only release as well as at my shows! We will have it for sale at the TLH webstore starting April 29 and at Glitterhouse later in May. You can catch a tune on the site player below. Here are the liner notes: Terry Lee Hale and “Becca” Sarow (pronounced sorrow) were an acoustic recording and touring duo that formed in Chicago in 1975. We sang a collection of original songs as well as many ragtime, country blues, pop and folk standards. Fronted by Becca on vocals, I also sang and played 6 string Froggy Bottom guitar. We lived in and toured throughout the Midwest, Colorado, Washington and Texas and finally settled in Denver in 1979.Rebecca Sarow was born in Capac, Michigan 1952 and passed away in Denver on Valentines Day 2005. She is survived by 5 children, one being our daughter and 8 grandchildren.